US 12,759,464 B2Granted

Automated vehicle camera systems for vehicle trailers

AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC

InventorsSteffen Peter Lindenthal, Yun Qian Miao, Behnaz Ahmadi, Utkarsh Saini

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Abstract

An example vehicle camera system for a vehicle trailer includes a trailer hitch configured to couple with a trailer, a rear vehicle camera and a side vehicle camera each configured to capture images of the trailer, and a vehicle control module configured to capture a rearview image and a sideview image of the trailer, obtain stored camera dimensions of the vehicle indicative of locations of the rear vehicle camera and side vehicle camera, determine a hitch articulation angle of the trailer hitch according to the rearview image, identify a front corner location of the trailer according to the rearview image and the sideview image, calculate a width of the trailer according to the front corner location, the hitch articulation angle, and the stored camera dimensions, and store the width of the trailer in memory for automated control of the vehicle while the trailer is attached to the trailer hitch.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A vehicle camera system for a vehicle trailer, the vehicle camera system comprising:

a trailer hitch configured to couple with a trailer for towing the trailer behind a vehicle;
a rear vehicle camera configured to capture images of the trailer from a rear of the vehicle;
a side vehicle camera configured to capture images of the trailer from a side of the vehicle;
and
a vehicle control module configured to:
capture a rearview image of the trailer from the rear vehicle camera;
capture a sideview image of the trailer from the side vehicle camera;
obtain stored camera dimensions of the vehicle indicative of a location of the rear vehicle camera relative to a location of the side vehicle camera;
determine a hitch articulation angle of the trailer hitch according to the rearview image captured by the rear vehicle camera;
identify a front corner location of the trailer according to the rearview image and the sideview image;
calculate a width of the trailer according to the front corner location, the hitch articulation angle, and the stored camera dimensions;
store the width of the trailer in memory for automated control of the vehicle while the trailer is attached to the trailer hitch;
identify a wheel location of the trailer according to the sideview image captured by the side vehicle camera;
calculate an axle length of the trailer according to the wheel location, the front corner location, the hitch articulation angle and the stored camera dimensions;
and
store the axle length of the trailer in memory for automated control of the vehicle while the trailer is attached to the trailer hitch.

13 more elements

A method of operating a vehicle camera system for a vehicle trailer, the method comprising:

capturing a rearview image of a trailer from a rear vehicle camera, the trailer coupled with a trailer hitch of a vehicle;
capturing a sideview image of the trailer from a side vehicle camera;
obtaining stored camera dimensions of the vehicle indicative of a location of the rear vehicle camera relative to a location of the side vehicle camera;
determining a hitch articulation angle of the trailer hitch according to the rearview image captured by the rear vehicle camera;
identifying a front corner location of the trailer according to the rearview image and the sideview image;
obtaining a specified articulation angle threshold;
in response to the hitch articulation angle of the trailer being greater than the specified articulation angle threshold, calculating a width of the trailer according to the front corner location, the hitch articulation angle, and the stored camera dimensions, and storing the width of the trailer in memory for automated control of the vehicle while the trailer is attached to the trailer hitch;
and
generating a notification of ineligible width calculation in response to the hitch articulation angle of the trailer being less than the specified articulation angle threshold.

6 more elements

A method of operating a vehicle camera system for a vehicle trailer, the method comprising:

capturing a rearview image of a trailer from a rear vehicle camera, the trailer coupled with a trailer hitch of a vehicle;
capturing a sideview image of the trailer from a side vehicle camera;
obtaining stored camera dimensions of the vehicle indicative of a location of the rear vehicle camera relative to a location of the side vehicle camera;
determining a hitch articulation angle of the trailer hitch according to a hitch articulation sensor rearview image captured by the rear vehicle camera;
identifying a front corner location of the trailer according to the rearview image and the sideview image;
identifying a rear corner location of the trailer according to the sideview image;
calculating a length of the trailer according to the front corner location, the rear corner location, the hitch articulation angle, and the stored camera dimensions;
storing the length of the trailer in memory for automated control of the vehicle while the trailer is attached to the trailer hitch;
identifying a top corner location of the trailer according to the sideview image captured by the side vehicle camera;
determining whether the trailer has a rectangular profile according to at least one of the sideview image and the rearview image;
in response to determining that the trailer has the rectangular profile, calculating a height of the trailer according to the top corner location, the front corner location, the hitch articulation angle and the stored camera dimensions, and storing the height of the trailer in memory for automated control of the vehicle while the trailer is attached to the trailer hitch;
and
generating a notification of ineligible height calculation in response to determining that the trailer does not have the rectangular profile.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/012,298Filed 7 Jan 2025
Published: US 2026/0192751 A19 Jul 2026
Granted: 13 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B60R 1/26
With a predetermined field of view: to the rear of the vehicle
B60R 1/25
With a predetermined field of view: to the sides of the vehicle
B60R 2300/105
Characterised by the type of camera system used: using multiple cameras
B60R 2300/307
Characterised by the type of image processing: virtually distinguishing relevant parts of a scene from the background of the scene